Wage Cost

Country comparison

Norway vs Costa Rica

Compare average wages, historical trends and everyday price levels across two economies. A common wage-year frame and a visible United States = 100 price benchmark keep the view comparable.

All Countries
Norway$73,4622025 · PPP-adjusted annual wage

Overall Price Level: 90.00 · 2024

Data reviewed: August 2026

Costa Rica$44,4312024 · PPP-adjusted annual wage

Overall Price Level: 61.30 · 2024

Data reviewed: August 2026

Compare average wages, historical trends and everyday price levels across two economies. A common wage-year frame and a visible United States = 100 price benchmark keep the view comparable.

Wage trend comparison

How Wages Have Changed

$77k$67k$56k$46k$35k20152025PPP-adjusted annual wage (USD)

USD PPP, constant 2025 prices · click a legend name to hide it; at least one line remains.

Price Level Comparison

Compare Everyday Price Levels

Compare eight consumer price categories using the United States benchmark of 100.

OverallNorway +28.7
FoodNorway +6.0
ClothingNorway +26.6
HousingNorway +29.9
HealthNorway +13.6
TransportNorway +39.7
RecreationNorway +39.8
RestaurantsNorway +40.2
Norway 90.00Costa Rica 61.30
Overall
Norway 90.00
Costa Rica 61.30
Difference Norway +28.70
Food
Norway 113.00
Costa Rica 107.00
Difference Norway +6.00
Clothing
Norway 105.00
Costa Rica 78.40
Difference Norway +26.60
Housing
Norway 60.40
Costa Rica 30.50
Difference Norway +29.90
Health
Norway 80.60
Costa Rica 67.00
Difference Norway +13.60
Transport
Norway 126.00
Costa Rica 86.30
Difference Norway +39.70
Recreation
Norway 119.00
Costa Rica 79.20
Difference Norway +39.80
Restaurants
Norway 114.00
Costa Rica 73.80
Difference Norway +40.20

Key Differences

Understanding Norway and Costa Rica

Norway records a higher 2025 PPP-adjusted annual wage than Costa Rica, while both countries have overall price levels below the U.S. benchmark in 2024. The page keeps the arithmetic difference visible but does not turn it into a causal explanation or a living-standard judgement.

Wage Comparison

Norway shows the higher PPP-adjusted annual wage: $29,031 (65.3%) more than Costa Rica. Over the latest reported year, both economies recorded positive one-year wage changes (+1.61% and +0.00%). The widest price category gap is Restaurants at 40.2 index points, and both overall price levels sit below the U.S. benchmark of 100 in 2024. Wages are reported for 2025 (Norway) and 2024 (Costa Rica), while prices cover 2024; the two datasets are labelled separately.

Price Profile

Both overall price indices remain below the United States benchmark. Norway is marginally higher overall, while the largest category difference appears in Restaurants, where Norway exceeds Costa Rica by 40.2 index points. Each value remains relative to the United States = 100 benchmark.

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Data Notes

Wage data: 2025 common-year PPP-adjusted annual wages. Price data: 2022–2024, United States = 100. Missing values display – without zero fill, interpolation, or automatic year fallback.

Data reviewed: August 2026